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Has antimicrobial activity against Gram-negative bacteria, and to a lesser extent also against Gram-positive bacteria and fungi. Protects blood cells against infection with HIV-1 (in vitro). Inhibits corticotropin (ACTH)-stimulated corticosterone production.

Defensins are a family of antimicrobial and cytotoxic peptides thought to be involved in host defense. They are abundant in the granules of neutrophils and also found in the epithelia of mucosal surfaces such as those of the intestine, respiratory tract, urinary tract, and vagina. Members of the defensin family are highly similar in protein sequence and distinguished by a conserved cysteine motif. Several alpha defensin genes are clustered on chromosome 8. This gene differs from other genes of this family by an extra 83-base segment that is apparently the result of a recent duplication within the coding region. The protein encoded by this gene, defensin, alpha 4, is found in the neutrophils; it exhibits corticostatic activity and inhibits corticotropin stimulated corticosterone production. [provided by RefSeq, Oct 2014]

The combination of an increased expression of the antimicrobial peptide DEFA-4, the oncogene S100-A7, epidermal growth factor, and tenascin-c, and a decreased Doc-1 expression in oral leukoplakia might characterize its potency of malignant transformation.